Today's Puzzle
What was the name of the Benedictine monk credited with inventing champagne?
What Happened On
Exploding Whale
November 12, 1970
The Oregon Highway Division uses half a ton of dynamite to blow up the carcass of a beached whale, with unexpectedly messy results. Whale body parts were scattered across the beach, with chunks of whale hitting spectators and destroying a Cadillac parked a quarter mile away.
Lightning Strikes Back to the Future
November 12, 1955
According to the movie Back to the Future (1985), the Hill Valley clock is struck by lightning at 10:04 pm. Doc and Marty would use their knowledge of this event to power the DeLorean back to the Future.
Second Ellis Island building as seen in 1905
Second Ellis Island building as seen in 1905
Ellis Island Closes
November 12, 1954
Ellis Island in upper New York closes. It had processed 12 million immigrants since its opening in 1892.
In 1897, the wooden building caught fire and burned to ground, losing most of the immigration records dating back to 1855. A new fireproof building was then built to take its place.
Loch Ness Monster
November 12, 1933
The first photo claiming to be of the Loch Ness Monster is taken by Hugh Gray. It was published in the Daily Express the following month.
First Professional Football Player
November 12, 1892
"Pudge" Heffelfinger is paid a $500 bonus (about $13,500 in today's money) after scoring the winning touchdown for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (4-0). A touchdown counted for 4 points at the time.
The Night the Stars Fell
November 12, 1833
Over 240,000 meteors fall during a span of nine hours, with a peak of over 100,000 meteors per hour over North America.
Many thought it signaled judgment day and the second coming of Christ, as described in the Bible in Mark 13:25 "And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken."
The Lakota Indians reset their calendar to mark the event.
Now we know that every November Earth passes through the trail of Tempel-Tuttle comet, causing the Leonids meteor shower.
And about every 33 years the shower is especially spectacular, although the 1833 event was the most spectacular in modern history.
AIDS Plot
November 12, 1992
Film director Spike Lee is quoted in an advertisement in Rolling Stone magazine claiming that AIDS is a government plot against gays, blacks, and Hispanics that went out of control.
"I'm convinced AIDS is a government-engineered disease. They got one thing wrong, they never realized it couldn't just be contained to the groups it was intended to wipe out. So now it's a national priority. Exactly like drugs became when they escaped the urban centers into White suburbia".
First Reusable Spacecraft
November 12, 1981
The space shuttle Columbia is launched for the second time - officially earning it the title "reusable." Twenty-two years later in 2003, the ill-fated shuttle would disintegrate upon reentry killing all seven crew members.
Voyager I
November 12, 1980
The spacecraft Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn (78,125 miles). It discovered three previously unknown moons and numerous new rings.
First U.S. Drive-In Bank
November 12, 1946
Exchange National Bank of Chicago opens.
World War II - Draft Lowered to 18
November 12, 1942
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt lowers the draft age from 20 to 18.
Under Construction, July 1935
Under Construction, July 1935
San Francisco-Oakland Bridge
November 12, 1936
The San Francisco-Oakland Bridge opens, becoming the longest U.S. bridge at that time.
The bay to Oakland was spanned by a 10,176-foot (3.102 km) combination of double cantilever, five long-span through-trusses, and a truss causeway, forming the longest bridge of its kind at the time.
First U.S. Ice Hockey League
November 12, 1896
The Amateur Hockey League is formed.
First Automobile Club
November 12, 1895
The first automobile club is formed, the Automobile Club de France.
Birthdays
Nadia Comaneci
Born November 12, 1961
Romanian gymnast. She won three gold medals in the 1976 Olympics, receiving seven perfect scores, becoming the first gymnast to earn a perfect score at the Olympics.
She won two more gold medals and achieved two more perfect 10s in the 1980 Olympics, winning a total of nine Olympic medals and four World Artistic Gymnastics Championship medals during her career.
In 1989, a few weeks before the Romanian Revolution, Comaneci along with a group of other Romanians defected, eventually making their way to the United States.
Charles Manson
Born November 12, 1934 d. 2017
American murderer, leader of "The Family." Manson believed in what he called "Helter Skelter," a term he took from the Beatles' song of the same name to describe an impending apocalyptic race war. He was convicted of the murders of Sharon Tate and others in 1969. He hoped the murders would start that war. His crimes were the subject of the book Helter Skelter (1974).
Auguste Rodin
Born November 12, 1840 d. 1917
French sculptor, noted for his famous statue The Thinker (1888). When motion photography proved that horses didn't gallop in the manner often depicted by artists, he responded, "It is the artist who is truthful and it is photography which lies, for in reality time does not stop."
Tonya Harding
Born November 12, 1970
American Olympic figure skater. Her involvement in the attack on fellow Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan made national headlines. In 1991, she became the first American woman to successfully land a triple Axel in competition.
Sammy Sosa
Born November 12, 1968
American Baseball player, member of the "500 home run club."
Neil Young
Born November 12, 1945
Canadian singer. Music: Southern Man (1974), Heart of Gold (1972, #1), and Old Man (1972).
Brian Hyland
Born November 12, 1943
American pop singer. Music: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (1960, #1), which he wrote while still in high school.
Ina Balin (Ina Rosenberg)
Born November 12, 1937 d. 1990
American actress. She portrayed herself in the TV movie The Children of An Lac (1980), which was based on her experiences touring with USO in Vietnam, where she aided in the evacuation of orphans during the fall of Saigon. She would go on to adopt three of the orphans.
Grace Kelly (Grace Patricia Kelly)
Born November 12, 1929 d. 1982
American Oscar-winning actress. She became the Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III in 1956, making her the only princess to have received an Oscar.
Film: High Noon (1952), The Country Girl (1954, Academy Award), Rear Window (1954), and To Catch a Thief (1955).
Kim Hunter (Janet Cole)
Born November 12, 1922 d. 2002
American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. Film: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Stella, Oscar-winner), Planet of the Apes (1968, Zira). TV: The Edge of Night (Nola Madison).
DeWitt Wallace
Born November 12, 1889 d. 1981
American publisher. He and his wife Lila founded Reader's Digest (1921). It obtained the largest magazine circulation in the world.
Eli Hamilton Janney
Born November 12, 1831 d. 1912
American inventor. He patented the first American automatic railroad coupler (1873).
Baha Ullah (Mirza Husayn Ali)
Born November 12, 1817 d. 1892
Persian prophet, founder of the Baha'i faith (1863).
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Born November 12, 1815 d. 1902
American women's rights leader.
Deaths
William Holden (William Franklin Beedle Jr.)
Died November 12, 1981 b. 1918
American Oscar-Emmy-winning actor. Film: Stalag 17 (1953), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969), and Network (1976).
According to the coroner's report, he died in his home when he slipped on a rug, fell on an end table lacerating his head, and subsequently bled to death. He was intoxicated at the time. Forensic evidence suggested he was conscious for at least 30 minutes after the fall.
Martian Canals Depicted by Lowell
Martian Canals Depicted by Lowell
Percival Lowell
Died November 12, 1916 b. 1855
American astronomer. He predicted the existence of the dwarf planet Pluto, which was discovered in 1930 - 14 years after his death.
He also popularized the idea that intelligent life had constructed canals on Mars - This was later proved to be false.
Stan Lee (Stanley Lieber)
Died November 12, 2018 b. 1922
American cartoonist. Created The Fantastic Four (1961), The Amazing Spider-Man (1962), and The Hulk (1962). He was the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics.
Ira Marvin Levin
Died November 12, 2007 b. 1929
American author. Writings: A Kiss Before Dying (1953), Rosemary's Baby (1967), The Stepford Wives (1972), and The Boys from Brazil (1976), which have been made into movies.
Eugene A. Marino
Died November 12, 2000 b. 1934
American religious leader. He was the first black American Catholic archbishop (1988-90, Atlanta). After becoming Archbishop, Marino became involved in addressing the sexual misconduct of priests. However, after moving to Atlanta, Marino began an affair with a female lay minister. Marino resigned when this was revealed in 1990.
H. R. Haldeman (Harry Robbins Haldeman)
Died November 12, 1993 b. 1926
American politician, U.S. President Richard Nixon's chief of staff. He was imprisoned for 18 months for his role in the Watergate affair.
Charles "Honi" Coles
Died November 12, 1992 b. 1911
American Tony-winning tap dancer. Broadway: Hello Dolly. Film: Dirty Dancing and Cotton Club. He was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame (2003).
Eve Arden (Eunice Quedens)
Died November 12, 1990 b. 1908
Emmy-winning actress. TV: Our Miss Brooks (1952-56, title role). She also starred in the radio and film versions of Our Miss Brooks. She won the very first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1953, Our Miss Brooks).
Clinton Stevenson "Praying Benny" Benedict
Died November 12, 1976 b. 1892
Canadian Hall of Fame hockey goalie. He was the first NHL goalie to wear a face mask (1929). He was the first goalie to drop to his knees to stop the puck along the ice, earning him the name "Praying Benny." Dropping to the ice was illegal at the time, causing the NHL to make it first rule change: legalizing this move.
Harry Scherman
Died November 12, 1969 b. 1887
Canadian-born American author. Founder of the Book-of-the-Month Club (1926).
James Michael Curley
Died November 12, 1958 b. 1874
American politician, "last of the big city political bosses," four-time mayor of Boston, governor of Massachusetts (1935-37). He served two prison terms (1904, 1947) while mayor. The movie The Last Hurrah (1958) was modeled after his career.
Sir Dugald Clerk (aka Clark)
Died November 12, 1932 b. 1854
Scottish engineer. He built the first two-stroke engine (1878).
Elizabeth Gaskell
Died November 12, 1865 b. 1810
English novelist, one of the most popular of the Victorian novelists. Writings: Mary Barton (1848) and Cranford (1853).
John Hawkins
Died November 12, 1595 b. 1532
English naval commander. He traveled with Christopher Columbus and introduced tobacco to England (1565).
Boniface III
Died November 12, 607 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 66th Pope (Feb. - Nov. 607).